Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils



May 15, 1928. 1,670,122

R. 'r. POLLOCK APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS 0 Filed June 50, 1920 yMJ Patented 'May 15, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,670,122 PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT T. POLLOCK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA;

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCABBON OILS.

Application filed June 30, 1920, Serial No. 393,050. Renewed April 11, 1927.

My invention relates to improvements in an apparatus and process for treating hydrocarbon oils and refers more particularly to a process in which 6 distillate is regulated by controlling the heat of the furnace.

Among its salient objects are to provide a process for converting comparatively high to lower boiling point hydrocarbons such as benzine naphtha, gasoline or the like, a process in which the maximum temperature to which the oil is heated is positively controlled and the oil proceeding to the reacting zone is finally subjected to this highest temperature as it passes from the heatlng zone, thus all of the cuts, up to a predetermined boiling oint, are cracked from the body of the oil: thereby permitting of the extraction of the desired products; to provide a process that is more economical as to the heat consumed in cracking and one in which the travel of the oil is natural as it conforms with the convection currents in the oil, the cooler liquid flowing toward the more heated area; to provide an improved type of apparatus for the carrying out of this process and in general to provide a process and apparatus of the character referred to.

The single figure is a side elevation of the apparatus, parts'in section and parts broken away. On y that part of the apparatus which is essential to the process is shown in the drawing.

Referring to the drawings, above the furnace 1 are mounted the heating tubes 2. This furnace is referably heated by means of gas burner 3, the supply of fuel to which is controlled by means of the valve 4. The raw oil is supplied to the heating tubes through the inlet pipe 5, which is controlled by a valve 6, and coursed through the heating tubes in the direction shown by the arrows to the drawofi' pipe 7, which directs it to the vapor tube 8 mounted directly above the heating zone. A thermometer 9 is placed in the header close to the point where the oil is drawn from" the heating zone to be directed to the vapor tube. A valve 10 is interposed in the connecting line 7 and furnishes a means for controlling the amount of oil which is permitted to pass to the vapor tubes and at the same time, regulates the pressure maintained in the heating zone.

A residuum drawofi 11 istapped into the the character of the controlling the heat in the furnace 1 by lower portion of the vapor tube 8 and the residuum drawotf maybe controlled by means of a valve 12 in this line. The 0ll vapors released from the oil in the reacting or vapor zone proceed up through the riser 13, which is controlled by valve 14, and are directed through this line to a suitable condenser and receiver of a, type common in i this art (not shown). The travel of the heating gases from the furnace or combustion chamber 1 is up through the fines 15 into the circulating or heating zone and there by a circuitous route over the heating tubes. The heating gases are directed in this travel by means of bafiie walls 16. After passing through the heating zone, the spent gases proceed up through that portion 17 or the furnace containing the vapor chamber and out through the duct 18 to a stack (not shown).

. It will be noted that the heating gases travel in an opposed direction to the travel of the oil and that the oil enters the heating zone' at the coolest point and leaves the heating zone at that part where the maximum temperature is maintained. Also the course of the oil will be natural, in that the convection currents will cause the oil to flow from the cooler to the hotter portion of the heating zone. The oil is withdrawn from the heating zone at the hottest point or when it reaches that part of the heating zone which has the maximum temperature. This maximum temperature is regulated by means of the gas supplied to the burner 3.

The maximum temperature at which'the oil is withdrawn from the heating zone may be ascertained by means of the thermometer 9.

In this manner, it is possible at all times 90 to positively control the maximum temperature to which the oil is'permitted to reach, and in this way, to a great extent, fix the character of thecracking and to acertain extent, the quantity and quality of the distillate which is finally obtained.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil, includ ng an elongated furnace having a fire box at the lower side thereof, a baflle wall disposed above said fire box, said baflie wall being provided with openings adjacent one end thereof, a plurality of oil heating tubes disposed above said battle wall,'means for introducing oilto said tubes at one end no thereof, 'means for discharging :the oil from said tubes adjacent the open end of said baifle javall, a second b'aflle wall'disposed above said tubes, means for conveying combustion gases away from said tubes at (the end of said second bafile wall adjacent the inlet to said tubes, a vapor chamber disposed above said second baflle wall, and means for conveying oil from said tubes to said vapor chamber.-

-2. An apparatus for. treating hydrocarbon oil, comprising a furnace, a fire box at the liottomof said furnace, a baflle wall above said fire box, a tube chamber disposed above 15 said baflle wall, a second bafile wall above said tube chamber and an oil reaction chamber mounted above said second baflle wall, said baflle walls being so arranged that the combustion gases are admitted to the tube chamber adjacent the end of the tube chamber from which the oil is discharged, and conveyed away from the tube chamber ad 'acent the end thereof into which the oil is imtially introduced, and means for conveying the combustion gases about .said oil reaction chamber.

3. An apparatus for treatin hydrocarbon .oil comprising a furnace, a, re box in the furnace,-a-tube chamber disposed within the furnace, a baflle wall between said fire box and said. tube chamber, an oil reaction chamber mounted in said furnace, a second bafilewall between said tube chamber and said oil reaction chamber, said baflle walls bein so arranged that combustion gases are admitted to the tube chamber adjacent the end of the tube chamber from whichthe oil is discharged and conveyed away from the- 

